1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to telephone number identification.
2. Description of the Related Art
Under the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) “local number portability” (LNP) rules, as long as a user remains in the same geographic area, he or she can switch telephone service providers yet retain his or her existing phone number. Currently, upon mobile number deactivation, there is no easy way to tell whether a mobile number has been transferred from one carrier to another in this manner (i.e., via number portability) or, rather, has merely been recycled by the carrier and is now being, or soon will be, used by a different individual. The inability to identify whether a mobile number has been ported or is being recycled also has implications for maintaining valid express consent according to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which generally prohibits the making of a call with an automatic dialer or pre-recorded voice to any phone number unless there is an emergency purpose, or the caller has the prior express consent of the “called party.”
For companies (such as customer communications providers) concerned about messaging or calling a recycled mobile number, such entities may choose to lower their risk by not sending any messages or calls to mobile numbers just to be on the safe side. In such case, these companies would be giving up the benefit they had anticipated initially from making these calls and sending these messages, and mobile phone subscribers would be denied the benefit anticipated by receiving these calls and messages.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide automated techniques for identifying recycled (as opposed to ported) mobile numbers.